Sephora VIB Sale 2021- Recommendations and What’s in my Cart?

It’s that time of year again! Sephora sale time! We all know that Sephora never does enough sales, so we have to stock up when we can.

Today, I have made a list of some of my recommendations that I would buy from the sale, and at the end, I’ll talk about a couple of things that are for sure going in my cart!

Some details: The sale begins on April 9 for VIB Rouge Members (20% off), April 13 for VIB members (15% off), and April 15 for Beauty Insiders (10% off). It runs until April 19 and the code has unlimited use during that time.

Let’s goo!

Note: All images belong to the brand and I don’t make money off of them. All prices are in $CAD.

Recommendations

I’m going to organize this by category, so feel free to scroll to the section that you want to get on sale most! Or read them all, it can’t hurt.

Skincare

Skincare is one of those things that I rarely buy at the drug store. I’m pretty much always going to splurge on skincare because it’s all about that skin baby!

Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Cream- $52

Not only does this eye cream smell so good, it definitely does what it says. I use this in my morning skincare routine every day and it brightens my under eyes so naturally. It is expensive but I’m willing to splurge on something that I know works super well. If you’re interested in trying it out, get it during the sale to save some $$$. You can also buy it in some of the Ole Henriksen kits, but the small size rarely lasts me more than a couple of weeks.

Glow Recipe Banana Souffle Moisture Cream- $50

This is probably my favourite product that I’ve used in the last month. I love this moisturizer for so many reasons. Firstly, it smells like Banana Cream Pie which is amazing and I love smelling it every morning. Secondly, I love the texture and how well it blends into my skin. It is super brightening and it does not pill under makeup. I use this every morning after the Ole Henriksen eye cream. I’m definitely going to be picking up some more Glow Recipe products during the sale.

Marc Jacobs Youthquake Retexturizing Gel Cream- $79

This stuff is PRICEY. I can barely justify the cost, even though I love it so much. I have replaced this now with the Banana Souffle Moisture Cream because it’s cheaper and doesn’t pill underneath my sunscreen. However, I still love this one. It smells so good and feels amazing on the skin. If you’re willing to pay the extra money, especially during the sale, then go for it!

SuperGoop Unseen Sunscreen- $45

I have been needing to add a sunscreen to my routine for so long. I finally splurged and bought this one with a gift card that I got for Christmas and I don’t regret it at all. It goes on so well underneath my makeup and doesn’t leave a white residue at all. It also smells like summer which makes me happy when there are two feet of snow outside…

For real though, we should all be using sunscreen underneath our makeup and this is a great one to pick up. I’ll probably pick up another one of these at the sale.

Base Products

I rarely wear foundation and I have replaced primer with my skincare routine BUT, I do have some good recommendations from before I switched things up!

Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer- $43 ($22 for the mini)

The Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer was not a favourite of mine when I first got it. I picked it up because of all of the hype but I didn’t like it at first. However, it did grow on me and I think it is really good for holding your makeup and keeping it from moving all day. It is a weird texture to have on your face and it can be quite sticky. I’d recommend getting the mini to try it out, but I would pick this up again if I wore primer.

Too Faced Primed and Peachy Cooling Primer- $45

I am not a huge fan of Too Faced anymore since they decided to literally be a two-faced brand… but anyway. I have used this primer for years and I love it. As someone who gets warm very easily, I love anything cooling. This primer definitely cools your skin down and it smells like peaches (one of my favourite scents). I do find that it can pill under makeup the longer that you own it, so be aware of that expiry date. It is currently out of stock at Sephora but if you can get your hands on it, go for it (psst… they also have it at Winners).

Milk Makeup Sunshine Skin Tint- $56

This is my favourite foundation that I have ever worn. Technically it is a very light coverage foundation, but if that’s all you need, then you do you boo! I really love the easy application of this product and how it gave my skin a flawless finish. I believe that they have either re-released or re-formulated this product and I haven’t tried it since, but I would definitely recommend it. Milk does a great job with both packaging and products!

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer- $39

Back when I used to spend real money on concealer, the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer was one of my favourites. I love the coverage and consistency. It lasts a long time and has quite a large shade range (although not the best on the darker end :/). This is what I would recommend most for concealer, besides my favourite, the Sephora Bright Futures Gel Concealer.

Eyes

My favourite section!! Let’s goooo!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel- $30

In terms of brow gel, this is my favourite one that Sephora sells. It keeps everything in place all day but removes easily with my makeup remover. The spoolie is really big so if you have small brows or if you want to be more precise, this one probably isn’t for you. I like it because I like fluffy, big brows, so I just run it through my brows and be done.

Tartelette Toasted Eyeshadow Palette- $51

This might come as a surprise to some people because Tarte is not known for the eyeshadow palettes anymore. However, this palette has been in my collection for YEARS (tbh I should probably buy another one) and I use it every time I need a neutral palette. The colours are pigmented, it smells delicious and it’s perfect for a day-to-night look. I use this for every job interview and often wear it to work as well. The shades last forever and are great quality.

Morphe Eyeshadows

I really don’t buy a lot of eyeshadow palettes from Sephora anymore. I find that Col0urpop and smaller Indie brands make better and more affordable eyeshadow palettes. However, I will always recommend Morphe palettes (with one exception that they don’t sell at Sephora anymore). They are affordable, have great shades, and a great range of shades. Especially if you’re looking for your first palette, check out one of the larger Morphe ones.

They no longer sell my favourite eyeliners at Sephora… so let’s move along.

Ilia Limitless Lash Mascara- $37

This mascara is my go-to for everyday. I love how the brush has one side that is perfect for the upper lashes, and a skinnier one for the lower lashes. It lasts all day and doesn’t smudge underneath the eyes. It comes off pretty easily at the end of the day. It is also waterproof and does not come off when I cry, so thank goodness for that. It does hurt when it gets into your eyes so, be aware of that if you’re planning on having a sad day.

The rest of the face

Benefit Hoola Bronzer- $40

This is the only bronzer that I have ever purchased from Sephora and I don’t think I’ll ever try something new. I find bronzer really hard because I’m SUPER pale, so it scares me to try and find the right shade. I love the Hoola Bronzer line and it’s not that expensive for how long it takes to get through a full one. I get the lighter shade, but they have two deeper ones as well.

Nars Orgasm Blushes- $39

I picked up the Nars Orgasm Blush mini for my birthday gift a few years ago. I love this blush formula. It is the perfect shimmery, peachy colour for my skin tone and it provides a very natural blush tone to my skin. It’s super easy to apply and blend out and it’s just a gorgeous blush. I definitely want to pick up some more shades now that I’ve been wearing blush more and more.

Tower28 Beach Please Cream Blushes- $26

If you’ve read my blog, you know that I’m obsessed with cream blushes. This was one of the first cream blushes that I had tried and I love how easy it is to blend out and how natural it looks on the skin. It gives me a nice, natural sheen of colour, while looking dewey and fresh. I want to get a couple more shades, but I’ve heard that everything from Tower28 is great.

Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlight- $50

Becca Cosmetics announced that they will stop manufacturing products in September, so if you want to stock up on any Becca products, now is the time. I haven’t used my shimmering skin perfector for years, but I remember loving it, and I think that I’ll end up picking up another one before they go out of business. Champagne Pop is the cult favourite, but I think I had the Opal shade and I loved it. It’s a beautiful highlighter. (Again, I don’t buy a lot of highlighters at Sephora, I prefer indie or drugstore brands)

Lips

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask- $26

I swear by this lip mask. I wear the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask every single night and I have for years. This is a product that I will continue to repurchase for the rest of my life (at least while I live in a super dry climate). I’ve tried most of the different flavours and I prefer the original (berry) flavour or the vanilla flavour. If I forget to put this on at night, I notice it in the morning because my lips are super dry and cracked for days.

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil- $35

None of the lip liners that I own are sold at Sephora (I like the Morphe ones and Kyle Cosmetics ones) but I do love this Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil, which can definitely be used either as a lip liner or a full lip colour. This formula is so creamy and easy to apply without smudging or streaking. I prefer it on my lips to any liquid lipstick or matte bullet lipstick. These are quite pricey but they are sharpenable and great for everyday use.

Fenty Beauty Gloss Bombs- $25

Yeah yeah I’m basic, I know. But these are the nicest lip glosses out there. They smell so good, they don’t leave a weird feeling on my lips or in the back of my mouth lol and they are so so pretty. I bought the Christmas set that came with a few limited edition shades, but the ones that I love that are always available are Fenty Glow, Fu$$y, and Hot ChocoLIT. These are the best, no cap baby.

Too Faced Melted Matte Liquid Lipsticks- $29

I don’t wear a lot of liquid lipstick anymore, but when I do, it’s either this product or Kylie Cosmetics. These liquid matte lipsticks are super creamy and don’t hug the cracks in your lips. I could probably use a new one of these, but my favourite shade is Suck It, which is a mauvey brown shade. Again, if you don’t want to support Too Faced, try the Kylie Cosmetics ones at Ulta or read the next recommendation.

Urban Decay Vice Lipstick- $25

This is my favourite bullet lipstick that they sell at Sephora. I have worn these for many years, including for my high school grad photos. I have no idea where any of these are anymore so I’m not sure what shade I normally wear lol. I really like the formula, it isn’t too drying and it goes on really smooth. I’m intrigued by the shimmery ones, but I know that the matte ones get a thumbs up from me.

Tools/Extras

Last by not least, here are some tools and miscellaneous purchases that didn’t fit into their own category!

Morphe Brushes

I get all of my brushes from Morphe. They are reasonably priced, easy to use and they have tons of sets that come with every brush that you would ever need. In terms of sets, I would recommend the Eye-Obsessed 12-Piece Brush Set ($38) or the Face the Beat 5-Piece Face Brush set ($38). I also love the Morphe sponge that is a dupe for the beauty blender. If you don’t want to splurge on a Beauty Blender, try this one!

Beauty Blender- $26

I’d say nothing beats the OG Beauty Blender, but there are a few sponges that I like more. However, if you’re looking to get a beauty sponge on sale, why not pick up the OG? I will probably add one of these to my cart because I’m not enjoying my current sponge.

Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo- $33

This is the best dry shampoo that I have ever used. I love this brand (although you can’t get the dry shampoo in every store) and it works so well. I actually only use Amika brand products in my hair now, I use the Amika Normcore Shampoo and Conditioner too. You can pick up the mini size for $13.50 if you aren’t sold right away.

What’s in my cart?

Here are some of the things that I’m thinking of picking up!

• More Glow Recipe Products! I’m thinking about getting the Niacinimide Drops, and the Watermelon Sleeping Mask

• Some of my staple products: my Sephora Collection makeup remover and eye cream, as well as the Supergoop Sunscreen

• I’d like to try some Charlotte Tilbury products, including the Hollywood Flawless Filter (if they have my shade in stock)

• Stocking up on any remaining Becca products that I’d like to try, like the Priming Filters and the Sunlit Bronzers

• Some cool new products from my favourite clean brands including Illia, Kaja, Tower28 and Kosas.
  

What are you thinking of picking up?